Google's Solar-Powered Internet Plane Crashed in New Mexico

Google has been researching a solar-cell plane named Solara 50 for the past few months, testing it for an ambitious internet connectivity project. Apparently, though, the plane crashed in the desert on May 1, a fact that has been kept quiet but is now coming to light as the National Transportation Safety Board launches an inquiry into the event.

The unmanned plane launched from a private airstrip outside Albuquerque, N.M.. According toBloomberg, it was a test plane for Google's ambitious plan to bring Internet to the ground from the stratosphere via a series of solar airplanes and high-altitude balloons. The craft was built after Google's acquisition of Titan Aerospace Corp.

The FAA will also investigate the crash, helping the NTSB and Google determine a cause. Google and Facebook are currently racing to become the first company to bring Internet by air, but this is a setback for Mountain View's plans.

Source: Bloomberg